Nicole and Ashton walked into the police station a little before one. Ashton was ushered into a tiny back room and Norman politely informed Nicole that he and Gary were going to be talking to Ashton for a little bit, but not to leave.

"Do you want to see the polygraph?" Norman asked before he joined Gary in the room with Ashton.

She nodded. "If it's not a bother. I've never seen anyone take a lie detector test before."

He smiled at her. "Well, you're not really supposed to see it, but I'll make an exception for you. It will take about an hour for us to get through with Ashton in there before the test. We have to go over the questions with him first and make sure of some things, and then we'll get ready. Mason's giving it, since he knows how to read the dadgum thing."

She smiled back. "Okay. I'll hang out with Mason, I guess."

"As long as you don't keep him from doing his job, that's okay."

---

Ashton was beginning to feel like a felon an hour later. Norman and Gary had talked through all the important questions, and he had written out several answers. Finally, Mason came in and took the machine out of storage in one of the drawers and began plugging in wires and hooking him up to the machine.

Sweat broke out, he could feel it. Mason noticed. "Hey, it's okay, don't worry," he said in a low voice while they were the only ones in the room. "You'll do good. I didn't sit in on the first part, but I know you. You've got this."

He nodded. "I hope so."

"Stop worrying," he commanded. "If you keep doing that you just might fail."

"Not helping, Mason," he whispered. He took a few deep breaths. By the time Mason finished, he did feel calmer. He focused on slowing his heart rate and controlling his breathing.

Norman came in and his eyes were focused on the door. Ashton knew Gary was coming, too, that the station was going to have to close for a little while so that all three could be present. Mason's eyes went to the doorway, and he looked at Norman. He made an It's okay gesture to Mason. The man shook his head but didn't say anything.

"We're all here," Norman said, "so let's get started."

Mason took a deep breath. "Okay. So, first I need you to say 'yes' to both of the questions I'll ask. Is your name Ashton Dodd?"

"Yes."

He watched the machine. "Are you 30?"

"Yes."

He glanced up from the paper he was consulting. "Have you used illegal drugs or medications to get high in the last three years?"

"No."

"Do you use alcohol regularly?"

"No."

"Have you ever stolen from a job before?"

"No."

"Have you ever illegally dealt drugs?"

"No."

"Have you ever paid or received a bribe?"

"Yes."

Mason looked at him, surprised. He shrugged and Mason continued. "Have you ever committed any crime that has gone undetected?"

"Yes." He snorted. The day he got out.

"Have you ever shoplifted?"

Ashton shifted. "Yes."

Mason looked at him curiously. "Really?"

"Yes."

"Wow. Uh, have you ever physically assaulted anyone?"

"No."

Mason asked another ten questions, a few of which made Ashton's face heat up and wonder just who came up with these questions. Then he asked one that made Ashton upset. "Have you ever rebelled against someone in authority?"

"Yes." His dad, for one.

"Would you ever do it again?"

He stopped and looked at Norman. "No."

Mason scanned the page and frowned. "Have you lied in your requested personal information?"

"No."

The next five questions made him glad Nicole wasn't listening. "Are you sexually active?"

"No."

"Have you ever been drunk?"

He chewed his lip. "Yes." Once, when they went to visit family out of state.

Mason raised an eyebrow. "Have you ever cheated on anything?"

"Yes." Middle school, once, but he'd been caught.

"Have you ever lied to someone you love?"

"Yes." His father, a lot, back when he was little. And Ella more often. He felt bad about it.

"Have you ever withheld important information from someone to protect them from being hurt?"

"Yes." Ella never needed to know about him being beaten by their father.

The rest of the questions were standard and mostly repeats. After another ten minutes, Mason began unhooking him. The others cleared out and he was alone with Mason again. "You seriously shoplifted? That's not good."

Ashton sighed. "Yes, I did that once with Trisha. I got away with it, but I felt so bad I brought it back. And before you ask, yes, I've bribed someone. Indirectly, but I have. That's also the crime that has been undetected."

Mason finished unhooking the machine and leaned back on the desk. The room was so small that Ashton wasn't able to stand up. "You've been drunk?"

Ashton nodded. "We went out of town to visit some family when I was 17 and my cousin stole wine. It wasn't that great, and we didn't think we'd get drunk, but we did. I mean, we didn't get wasted, but it still was hard to get from the hayloft to our beds without stumbling and the next morning was horrible. Wouldn't do it again, that's for sure."

Mason nodded and got out of the way. Ashton stood, shook his hand, and when Ashton began to open the door, rested a hand on his shoulder. "Just a second." Ashton turned to him. "Um, you should know that Norman broke protocol. He, uh, let Nicole watch."

Ashton's stomach turned and his heart fell. "She saw?" he croaked. That was worse than any of those questions. He turned the chair and sat down again. He didn't think his legs would make it out the door.

Mason nodded. "I couldn't say anything. I'm sorry."

Ashton rubbed his face. How could Norman do that? "Those results may end up being thrown out if it becomes known," was all he could say. Nothing else would go past the growing lump in his throat. He wasn't sure where the guilt came from – he didn't admit to anything bad. But she wouldn't know that. If she began doubting him, it would kill him. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and he hung his head.

"It's not that bad," Mason told him, patting his shoulder.

Ashton wanted to believe him. He wanted to believe that this wouldn't change anything. Still, he was sure Nicole's view of him would change. It hurt to think about. He sat up and looked at Mason. "I need to go." He stood and took a deep breath. He managed to put on a confident appearance before he walked out.

Still, despite trying to look the part, he found he couldn't meet Nicole's gaze when she looked at him. He was afraid to. What would he find there? He wasn't sure, which scared him even more.

Norman clapped him on the back. "Come back tomorrow at eight. The next test is general abilities. You're gonna ace it, don't worry. You'll be out and having lunch with her by noon."

Ashton forced a smile. "Cool. I'll see you then."

Nicole let him hold her hand, and he relaxed a little. Maybe things would be okay. They walked to the point they'd have to decide between his house, her house, or to separate. "What do you wanna do?" she asked.

He was relieved she still wanted to hang out. "Let's go for a swim."

She nodded. "Okay. I need to change for that."

"Me too." He let her hand go and watched her walk to her place. As long as he knew she wasn't going to walk like that out of his life, he would be okay.

---

Ashton kept waiting for Nicole to question him. She never did. That afternoon passed like nothing had been heard, and they went to dinner, just the two of them, in town. Mason had joined them when he saw them at a booth. Nothing was different. Ashton began to relax.

The next morning he made eggs and bacon and she came over. They ate in comfortable silence and he kissed her goodbye before he left. She didn't push him away, so he thought they were fine. He took his tests easily, not worried anymore. He felt he did well. Norman told him to go home just after lunch, he would call with the results.

Ashton texted Nicole on the way out to see what she was doing. She had just had lunch, but wondered if he was free that afternoon. He said he was, and he met her at her house, where they ended up talking over more wedding details. She'd been busy, finding places they could have the ceremony and party at. They made a list of places to check out before he started his job, which would involve a trip to the city. They talked over the cake and more party details until it was getting late in the afternoon.

Ashton was tired by five that evening. Mrs. Downs was cooking and the smell wafted into the living room, making his stomach growl. He glanced quickly at Nicole to see if she'd heard when his phone rang. He checked it. "Hey Norman," he said in greeting.

"Ashton, great news! You passed. Give yourself a high-five since I'm not there." The young man gave a small cough. "There was a small problem with Gary getting your information processed – which is why it took so long for me to call you – but you're free and cleared for the job. When do you want to start?"

He thought. "Um, not this week." He glanced at Nicole. She wasn't looking at him, but he could tell she was listening. "I can start a week from Friday."

Norman was quiet for a moment. "Ten days? I can work with that. Well, I look forward to working by your side, Officer Dodd. Goodnight."

Ashton stared at his phone once he'd hung up. He'd done it. He grinned at Nicole. "I did it!" She gave him a grin and he hugged her. Her arms wrapped around him in return, and he smiled a little harder. He buried his nose in her hair again. She smelled so good. Like coconuts, but also like vanilla, and something underneath that was uniquely her. He just wanted to smell her hair for a while, but he knew he couldn't.

He pulled back and she asked, "So, I guess that means we need to plan our trip for this week coming. Which means we need to figure out a few more things before we're done."

"I guess so." He smiled at her while he stroked her hair. So soft. He leaned forward and gave her a soft kiss. He nuzzled her cheek and went back to smelling her hair. "We can finish figuring it out today if you want," he breathed into her ear. She shivered and he smiled.

"We need to," she whispered back.

He was sure he heard footsteps behind him, so he pulled back and glanced over his shoulder before anyone said anything. Mr. Downs was watching them from the doorway. "Hello, sir," Ashton said, his face warming up.

Mr. Downs nodded at them. "Hello, son." He turned and walked back into the kitchen.

Ashton turned back to Nicole, chuckling. "I love your dad." He noticed how her face lit up and he felt another surge of love for her. She was so beautiful. He reached over and touched her face, his fingers trailing on her cheek. His thumb ran over her cheek gently as his hand cupped her face. He leaned over and gave her another soft kiss that she returned. She pulled away and he dropped his hand. "Who do we take?"

"What?" Her eyes opened wider.

He smiled a little. "To Columbia? I don't want the two of us to go alone. Maybe we can take Brandy and her husband?"

"And their baby?" She gave him a skeptical look, but he could tell she was only pushing back without putting her heart into it. She wasn't against the idea.

He shrugged. "They have a car. I don't. I mean, I can drive – I got my license and all that – but I don't have a ride."

She tilted her head. "You can't buy one?"

He grinned, fighting the laughter. "I could, but what if I don't want to?"

She smiled back. "True."

Honestly, he intended to buy one sooner or later. He just had no idea what to get. There hadn't been a car or truck he'd seen that he wanted. He faced forward and stretched out, putting his hands behind his head. "What do you think I should get, then? A 4-door pickup?"

She thought a moment. "I could see that, but you look more like a sports car guy."

He laughed to himself. "I guess that's true, but I may want an SUV instead."

She shook her head. "I don't see it." She studied him for a moment. "Maybe a Dodge Charger, but one with four doors."

He fell silent as he thought it over. "You're right. We can go to Columbia, and I'll get one."

"What about the trip?"

His eyes closed. "Brandy and Bryan have a good SUV we can all fit in. I can bring Ella too, if you'd like to have her." He'd love to bring her, but he wasn't sure it was a good idea or not.

"Um, I don't think so. It might be a little crowded." He nodded. That's what he thought she'd say. Plus, it wasn't far from accurate. "Also, how do you know Brandy and Bryan can get away from their jobs here for more than a few days?"

He opened his eyes. He hadn't thought of that. "Oh. I probably should ask before I assume, huh?" He gave her a crooked grin and leaned forward with his phone. He texted Bryan and then sat the cell on the table. "Well, as backup, we should take Ella and Trisha, do you think?"

She smiled a little at him. "You just want Ella to come."

He spread his hands and shrugged, a smile on his face. What could he say? He loved his sister. His phone vibrated and he checked it. "Well, Brandy and Bryan won't be able to go." He grunted as he sat his phone down. "Oh, well." He sat back and silently sulked while he thought. "When do your parents go back?"

She frowned and looked down at her lap. "Three days."

He nodded, slightly surprised it was so soon. "Didn't you stay for two months last year?"

She nodded and turned away. "I did, but since Hailey was with us, we were staying for two weeks, so now that she's gone back, we still have to stay for just two weeks. My parents' jobs are expecting them. They need to leave." She peeked up at him. "But I don't."

He smiled at her. "We'll have to find a place for you to stay, then." She smiled back, looking at him through her lashes. It was so cute he almost couldn't stand it. He fought back a grin. "Have you talked to them about staying when they leave?"

She shook her head. "No, not yet. I was planning on doing that soon." She shrugged and leaned over, putting her head on his shoulder.

"Do you want me to go early so you can do it tonight?" She shook her head. He reached over with his free arm and stroked her hair. "You need to do it soon, you know."

"I know," she sighed. "I want to find somewhere to stay first, that way they can get to know them a little before they leave."

He nodded. He could understand that. "Do you want me to see if you could stay with Brandy?"

She was quiet for a moment. "I don't know." She sat up and looked at him. "She's about the only one I know except for Trisha, but I get the feeling she doesn't want much to do with me."

Ashton frowned. He knew she was right, and he was upset Trisha had said led her to believe that he was her boyfriend at the start of the summer, even if it did prompt Nicole to come find him when she heard, and it ended with her cheering him up. "I didn't say you should ask her."

"I know, but I was just saying." She leaned back against the couch.

He picked up her hand and ran his thumb over her palm in small circles. "I know you don't want to be in her house any more than she wants you there." He brought her hand to his lips and gave her a gentle kiss before lowering it again. "I'll find somewhere," he promised.

She smiled at him. "Thanks, Ash, but you don't have to."

He smiled back. "But I want to." She leaned over and kissed his cheek. When she put her head back on his shoulder, he sighed contentedly. This was how he wanted to spend the rest of the evening. She closed her eyes as he watched her. He didn't want to move because he didn't want her to move. When he married her, this could be every evening, and he couldn't help the grin that came to him when he thought about it.

"Dinner!" came Mrs. Downs' voice a few minutes later. Ashton sighed. Nicole lifted her head, giving him a small smile as she got up. He returned the smile, but he knew it probably didn't reach all the way to his eyes.

That night, dinner was a mostly quiet affair. Nicole kept watching him and giving him little smiles the whole time. He enjoyed her attention. He had to admit, he was doing the same thing. When her parents were talking, he tuned them out in favor of flirting with Nicole. His face flushed as he realized he didn't hear what her mom asked him.

He looked at her. "Ma'am?"

She gave him a knowing smile. "I asked, what songs are you thinking of for the first dance?"

"Uh." His eyes slid over to Nicole. Shouldn't she be the one that was asked? She nodded at him, but he wasn't sure why. He looked back at her mother. "Um, maybe All of Me by John Legend?" It was the first song that popped in his mind. Probably because he'd been listening to that song a lot recently.

"Do you know how to slow-dance?" she asked, making him turn a little redder.

This was one of those questions he didn't like to answer. "Um, well, I know how but I never have."

"Then we'll have to practice after we eat," Mrs. Downs said.

Ashton looked over at Nicole. They smiled at each other. "Sounds fun," Nicole said.

After dinner, Ashton helped Nicole and her parents slide the furniture out of the way. Mrs. Downs got a stereo from their bedroom and popped in a CD. Mr. Downs touched her wrist and focused on Ashton. "Before we start," he said in a tone that made it clear he wasn't kidding, "we need to understand that we won't be holding our partner too close. Like this." His wife sat down the CD player and placed a hand on her husband's shoulder and the other in his. He placed his other hand high on her waist. They had several inches between them. Once Ashton and Nicole nodded, he released his wife, and she started up a song.

Ashton held out hand to Nicole. "May I have this dance?"

She grinned and took his hand. "Why, of course, kind sir," she replied in a bad British accent, making them both laugh.

He lightly placed a hand on her waist when she rested her hand on his shoulder. He held their other hands a little to the side as he began leading her. It had been a long time since he'd learned, so he made several mistakes. She wasn't too bad once she got used to his steps. He knew he was probably either too big or small with his steps, and he knew she didn't truly care that much.

After an hour the CD ended, and Mr. Downs decided that that was enough dancing. Ashton was fine with that – as long as he could sit on the couch with Nicole leaning her head on his shoulder again. He was surprised how it was the little things that meant the most.

But Mr. Downs sat in the middle of the couch. Ashton checked the time. "Do you want to sit in the patio and talk some more?" he asked Nicole. "It's not too late."

She shrugged and nodded. "Okay." They went out the sliding doors and sat on the love seat. She sat and pulled out her phone, opened her notes, and began asking about more wedding details. He was just a little disappointed, but he knew they needed to figure this stuff out.

After an hour, Ashton was tired of talking about their wedding. He never knew how much went into it and he sighed. She stopped talking and looked at him. "What's the matter?" She touched his shoulder and ran her hand down his bicep.

He gave her a small smile. "I just never knew how much went into a wedding, that's all." He leaned forward and put his nose in her hair again. "You smell good."

"So do you," she responded.

He smiled and kissed her temple. He worked his way to her mouth and gave her a sweet kiss. "Let's take a quick break," he mumbled against her mouth.

"What do you have in mind?" she whispered back.

He pulled away and gave her a sly smile. "A swim." He pointed to the water not very far from them. "Tide's come in."

"But saltwater isn't good for your clothes."

He gave her another quick kiss. "I'll buy you new ones. Come on." He stood and tugged on her hand. She glanced at the water and hesitated. He scooped her up and ran down to the water. She shrieked as his running splashed the water onto them. He laughed and sat her on her feet in the water.

She scooped up water and flung it at him, also laughing. He tried to back away from her but tripped, falling backwards into the water. With a laugh, he threw more water at her. She shrieked again and she jumped backwards. She splashed him with more water, completely soaking him. He reached up and he caught her wrist, pulling her down. She fell across him in the water, laughing.

"How dare you!" she shrieked, splashing him with more water.

He laughed. "I said we should go for a swim!" he said as he splashed her. Before long they were drenched. After a little more splashing, he stood and offered her a hand. She tilted her head. "We need to get back before your parents miss us."

She pointed behind him. He turned. Her mom waved at them. Her parents were watching them from the patio. He waved back and shrugged. "Oh, well. But we should still get back. It's getting late." This time she took his hand and stood. He led her back up the beach.

They got to her parents, who were smiling. Well, her mom was. Her dad wasn't smiling. "I should be going," Ashton said as he kept walking around to the front, Nicole in tow. "It's getting late." He got to her front door and stopped. When they stopped, he looked at her, taking in the moment as it came to him. Was it really only a little more than a week ago he had gotten so nervous when he thought about her parents meeting him? He never thought he'd be standing here, so comfortable with her parents, ready to give his fiancé a kiss goodnight.

She leaned closer and kissed him. He smiled when she did. It let him know they were okay. She was okay with what she heard, maybe, or at least giving him the benefit of the doubt. The evening had almost made him forget about the polygraph test earlier, but when their lips met, his thoughts turned to it.

He let the kiss go on for a couple of moments before pulling away. "I really do need to go," he said in a low voice. She opened her eyes. He smiled at her. She had no idea how pretty she was.

"Okay," she said quietly after a pause. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Count on it," he replied.